It was the miniature designs that caught my attention at first, and then as I looked at the whole stall set-up I saw a collection of very different art. I hadn’t seen anything like this before so I had to stop and chat to the lovely lady who created these gorgeous artworks. It’s amazing what can be achieved on retirement and Shirley certainly seized the opportunity to do something creative – and look at what she’s created.

Shirley Yeates lived on a vineyard for a short while after her retirement in 2014 and each day as she walked around the property something caught her eye and sparked a flow of creative ideas that eventually became the start of a very creative retirement. Bark, lots of bark fallen from various beautiful Australian trees, each with different textures, colours, shapes and sizes – these were used to create artworks. The subject matter may not be so new but the style is quite clever and unique.

I can imagine Shirley’s studio (or creative nook) would house a huge collection of various bark pieces. Each will have the mark of a new design idea waiting for the artist’s hand to work its creation. What a wonderful way to use fallen pieces from nature to create such gorgeous artworks.

Shirley can transform tree bark into contemporary art … but I also think that tree bark has transformed Shirley’s retirement. This lovely lady with her framed art can be found at various markets around Melbourne; so if you would like to get up close and see for yourself first hand, visit her Facebookpage to check where and when she’ll be at craft markets. In the meantime, read all about Shirley’s work, browse through her photos, and enjoy what you see.